Bread is ‘ingrained’ in Germany’s food culture. In fact, 28% of Germans eat fresh bread and baked goods two to six times per week.
Yet according to market research firm Mintel, 4 out of 10 consumers are unsure which bread and baked goods are actually healthy.
Two-thirds of German consumers think it is important to know where the ingredients in bread and baked goods come from, and one-third believes it is worth paying more for organic bread and baked goods.
“With white flour and refined carbs being criticised for their purported health effects, consumers have become unsure which kind of bread and bakery products are good for their health.
“The European organic certification process helps them to gain a certain degree of transparency regarding the ingredients, which is why over a third of Germans would pay more for organic bread and bakery products,” said global food and drink analyst at Mintel, Katya Witham.
Mintel data also revealed that in Germany, the most popular bread and baked good products are those that support local farmers (42%) and those that consist of nutritious flour types, such as quinoa flour (33%).
“Consumers…seem interested in different flour types and natural inclusions, adding both flavour and functional benefits. Although Mintel GNPD reveals that bread containing chickpea and lentil flour only accounts for a small proportion of bread product launches, we expect these ingredients will become more prominent in this category,” Witham continued.
It was also found that young consumers (aged 16-24) are interested in bread with a ‘healthy angle’, with more than one-quarter of this age group keen to see a wider range of bread and bakery products with health-promoting ingredients, such as spices and herbs.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their health and emotional wellbeing and are seeking out nutritional ways to enhance it.
“We expect that inclusions of basil, mint, turmeric, fenugreek and cumin are to trend upwards in the bread and bakery category thanks to their positive health connotations,” noted Witham.
